Commercial real estate is implementing various strategies to address the impact of climate change. One key approach is reducing operational emissions. According to a recent article from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), energy programs such as LEED and Energy Star, along with ASHRAE 90.1 standards, are only part of the solution in this effort. The article notes that simply focusing on operational emissions may not be enough to meet ambitious climate targets set for 2030 and 2050.
So what can make a difference? Two words: embodied carbon. As explained in the USGBC’s report “Driving Action on Embodied Carbon in Buildings,” embodied carbon refers to emissions released during “the life cycle of building products.” This includes processes like raw material extraction, manufacturing, transportation, construction and disposal.
In other words, while building operations account for approximately 30% of annual energy-related emissions globally, this figure does not fully capture their overall environmental impact; embodied carbon accounts for an additional 11%. Therefore it is crucial that we pay attention to both operational and embodied emissions when striving towards sustainable buildings.
The USGBC partnered with independent nonprofit RMI on their report which outlines strategies for reducing these harmful impacts from built structures including prioritization between addressing operational or embodied emission reduction first – but ultimately concluding that both must be addressed simultaneously if we hope achieve significant progress towards our goals:
– Reuse entire buildings or components from deconstructed ones
– Limit renovation scope by using salvaged materials where possible
– Optimize design by minimizing excess space or incorporating dual-use spaces
– Use responsibly sourced materials which store rather than release carbon into atmosphere
– Implement circular design principles focused on reuse/recycling/durability
While CRE industry professionals are still learning about how best reduce these impacts through initiatives like those outlined above , it’s critical they accelerate adoption given urgency around meeting decarbonization objectives . As stated within the report, “Successful decarbonization requires collective industry action from multiple players. The whole industry must collaborate to continually improve embodied carbon data, develop standards, fill gaps and unify tools and databases.”
